Razor guard to protectively cover a razor blade holder



E. C. GATZ July 30, 1968 RAZOR GUARD TO PROTECTIVELY COVER A RAZOR BLADE HOLDER Filed sept. 9, 196e ATTORNEY United States Patent O Mxice 3,394,456 RAZOR GUARD T PROTECTIVELY COVER A RAZR BLADE HOLDER Edward C. Gatz, 1509 Texas Ave., Homestead Air Force Base, Fla. 33030 Filed Sept. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 578,173 6 Claims. (Cl. Sil- 90) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A razor guard including a roof and opposed depending side panels defining a cavity therein to protectively house a razor blade holder, each of a pair of opposed panels including a lip along the terminal edge to partially oor the cavity and means for expanding the lips to open the cavity for assembly over the head of a razor blade holder.

This invention relates to a razor guard, and, more particularly, to a razor guard of the type to proteetively cover a razor blade holder having a blade secured therein of the safety razor type.

As is prehaps well known, persons who travel frequently, such as airline pilots, quite often carry carrying bags in which their toilet articles are kept. Those persons who use safety razors, either the single or double edge type, are quite often faced with the problem of carrying a razor blade holder with a blade in it in the bag. This results in the blade cutting the interior of the carrying bag, cutting the lingers of a user as he attempts to take the loaded -blade holder from the bag, or in dulling of the blade in the blade holder as it is joggled against the edge of a bottle, tube or other container' in the carrying bag. The present invention has as an object the provision of a razor guard which is adapted to be removably positioned over the head of a razor blade holder to protectively house the head and blade within a central cavity. Also, the instant invention may include a counter to record automatically the number of times that the razor blade holder is removed from the guard and thereby indicate to the user the amount of use of the particular 4blade in the holder and which requires no mechanical operation to be remembered but will automatically register for each such use.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a guard for razor blade and razor blade holder head which includes a generally tive sided shield body with an expandably opening mouth.

It is another object of this invention to provide a razor guard and counter.

It is another object of this invention to provide a structure for a razor guard and counter with said razor guard comprising a shield body having a main central cavity to accommodate and snugly nestle a razor blade holder head therein and a counter carried thereby to be actuated on movement of the blade holder head into and out of the cavity, said counter including a rotatable member and means responsive to movement of the blade head into the cavity to move the counter so that indicia carried thereon are visible throughout a slit opening.

It is another object of this invention to provide a razor guard to protect the user of a razor blade when installed on an instrument so that the same may be carried in a carrying bag or shaving kit and held protectively free of contact with hard or rough objects, such as toothpaste tubes, and to protect the interior lining of the traveling case from slashing by the razor blade.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved raZor guard which requires a minimum amount of space and protectively shields the operative portion 3,394,456 Patented July 30, 1968 of the blade from exposure to debris often found to accumulate in carrying bags.

It is another object of this invention to provide a protective shield for the head of a razor blade holder to cushion and protect the said blade and head from inadvertent dropping and which includes a -counter unit to automatically register the number of times that the razor blade holder is removed from the guard whereby a user may have a visual recordation of the amount of times that the blade has been used.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the instant invention mounted to a razor blade holder;

FIGURE 2 is a view in cross section taken along the plane indicated by the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a right side view of the instant invention;

FIGURE 5 is a view in cross section taken along the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the instant invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters ldesignate like or corresponding -parts throughout t-he different views, and referring particularly to FIGURE l, the numeral 12 generally designates the guard which includes a main body portion 14 having a thickened roof 16 provided with a dome portion 18 having a Icentral slot 20, said dome bridging a recess 22 in the exterior face 24 of the roof. It will be seen that the main body portion includes opposing end and main panels 26, 2S, 3) and 32 respectively. Each of the end panels is provided with a pair of upwardly diverging wing type handles 34 and 36 which are undercut as along the dimension indicated by the numerals 38 and 40 so as to be responsive to pressures applied adjacent the vertex of the winged handles to separate normally confronting lip edges 42 and 44 which in the normal position partially oor a main cavity 45 between the panels; it is noted that the winged handles are joined to the end -panels along vertical slots 46 and 48 which -deine the bounds of the lip and which increase the relative flexibility of the said lip edges on movement of the vertex edges of the winged handles toward 'one another.

The interior cavity 45 is sized to snugly accommodate the blade carrying razor blade holder head with the root` of the cavity having a rst and a second .pair of positioning rails 52 and 54 which extend into the cavity and limit upward movement of the leading edge of the razor blade holder head following ent-rance as permitted by the exi pansion of the lips which, on release of the pressure on the handle, contra-cts to captivate the head within the cavity.

Within the recess 22 a counter wheel 62 is journalled as on the axle 64, the said counter wheel having a plurality of indicia, seen in FIGURE 3, peripherally and equi-spaced therearound, the said indicia being arranged beneath the slot 20. It will be noted that the counter wheel is provided with a plurality of axially extending tins or paddles which are equi-spaced eircumferentially about the counter wheel and of a number which corresponds in number to the number of indicia, the paddles or [tins being designated by the numeral `65. As will be apparent, the said counter wheel is adapted to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrowed line 66 of FIGURE 2 and to be held against the backward or counterclockwise movement in the embodiment shown lby reason of stop lugs or pins such as 68 and 70 `which are housed in cantilever fashion in the roof so as to engage one of the series of the paddles. Means are provided responsive to each and every insertion of the razor blade holder head into the cavity to move and rotate the Wheel an indicia segment, the said means comprising a footed pin 72 which the foot 74 being in the cavity 45 and the opposing end extending through a passage 76 and into the said recess 22. Spring means 90 are provided to connect a portion 78 of the pin 72 to the body and to hold the pin in a normal retracted position with the foot 74 extending well into the cavity. A finger 80 is pivotally connected to the pin and arranged to extend toward and in close adjacent relation to the paddles of the counter wheel so that on upward movement of the pin on pressure applied to the foot 74, as Iby a razor blade head being inserted into the cavity 45, the distal end 84 of the finger will engage one of the paddles and rotate the counter wheel through one seg- It is thus seen that by reason of this instant invention there is provided a razor blade holder head shield or guard which includes a counter means to automatically record the number of times that the razor blade holder head is removed from the guard and, consequently, the number of times that a blade is used.

It will be apparent that the dome portion may be suitably secured as by an adhesive in the bridging relation shown in FIGURE 2, and it will tbe apparent that the construction material should be of a resilient plastic material to permit of a resilient expansion and contraction of the lips 42 and 44. Preferably, a high impact plastic and nonerusting metallic elements will be utilized. The number cylinder or counter wheel and the drive vanes or paddles may be of plastic, aluminum or brass. T he drive pin will preferably be of a non-rusting material and the springs of suitable Weight spring steel.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in |what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein ibut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. To hold a blade carrying razor holder head, a guard comprising a main body portion having a razor and a first and a second pair of opposed panels defining a cavity CII therebetween sized to snugly nestle a head of a razor blade holder therein, each of said first pair of panels including a lip to partially floor the cavity, said main body portion being of resilient material and means carried on each of the panels of said first pair, said means being adapted for use in expanding the lips from flooring relation of the cavity to permit the snug seating of a razor blade holder head in said cavity, said means comprising a first and a second open ended slit in each of the panels of said first pair and a handle exteriorly carried between the slits of each panel of the rst pair, each of said handles extending upwardly and outwardly from the distalmost edge of its associated panel whereby pressure on the terminal end of the handle is adapted to expand the lips.

2. The device as set forth in claim l wherein said cavity includ-es a .first and a second depending spaced rail extendn ing from the roof and into said cavity to limit movement of the head of the razor blade holder into said cavity and to position the same between said rails and said lips.

3. The device as set forth in claim l wherein counter means are provided on the guard to record the number of times that a head is inserted into the cavity.

4. The device as set forth in claim l wherein said roof is of a thickened dimension with respect to said panels and is provided with a recess and a counter in the recess, said counter including an operator member having a portion extending into said cavity to move the counter and respond to each insertion of the razor blade holder head in the cavity and roof means are provided for the recess.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said operator includes a footed pin with a foot in the cavity and the head of the pin in said recess, said pin being movable between a first and a second position on movement of the foot and means biasing said pin in a first position, said pin having a finger connected thereto and disposed at all times in said recess, the distal end of said pin being adjacent said counter wheel when in a first position and operatively engaged with said counter wheel when in a second position, and means normally biasing said pin into said first position so that the counter will accurately record the number of times that a head of a razor blade holder is moved into and out of the cavity, said counter being visible through said roof of the recess.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the said counter comprises a cylindrical member having projecting fins and said finger is adapted to engage the fin to rotate the counter on movement of the footed pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,771,694 11/1956 Laughton 40-70 2,878,563 3/1959 Schmoyer 30-90 3,172,202 3/1965 Sooter 30-90 3,177,582 4/1965 Curtis 30-90 3,327,388 6/1967 Sooter 30-90 MYRON C. KRUSE, Primary Examiner. 

